The Toronto Maple Leafs are still trying to sort out their goaltender situation this season, but Joseph Woll has impressed in a small sample size. If he can continue to be a stabilizing force in the net, then perhaps this squad can make some genuine headway in the Eastern Conference. Such a scenario can only work if the 27-year-old is on the ice, however. Woll suffered a lower-boy injury in Thursday night's 5-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and did not come out for the third period, per the team's PR X account.
The Leafs are finally gaining momentum after earning road victories versus the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Canes, but they now have some misfortune to address on their way back home. Woll posted a 2.53 goals against average and .924 save percentage in his first seven games this season and allowed one goal on 23 shot attempts versus Carolina. He has been quite steady since rejoining the Maple Leafs in mid-November, giving head Craig Berube some actual goalie depth.
Fans were bracing themselves for this type of speed bump, though. Woll has struggled to stay healthy since Toronto drafted him in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft. Despite debuting during the 2021-22 campaign, the Missouri native has played only 86 games for the Leafs. The organization will never get to see what Joseph Woll is fully capable of achieving unless he can remain available for the majority of a season.
All one can do now is hope for a swift recovery. Dennis Hildeby did a nice job of finishing the game. The Maple Leafs (13-11-3, 29 points) will try to stay hot when they face the Montreal Canadiens (14-9-3, 31 points) on Saturday, which will mark the beginning of a five-game homestand.
